


Being the Avatar's Soulmate Kinda Sucks Sometimes

by Ashleopard



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-01 18:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8633839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashleopard/pseuds/Ashleopard
Summary: In a universe where she can feel her soulmate's bending, it didn't take long for Asami to realize her soulmate was Avatar Korra... though sometimes the experience is a bit more gruesome than she bargained for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU where soulmates can feel eachother's bending (or, more specifically, can feel shifts of energy from the other person). Spoilers from all parts of the series! Thanks to my friend Josie for the idea.

“Okay, class, that wraps us up for the day. Have a good weekend!”

Asami packed away her textbooks, leaving out only her ‘recreational’ reading book. It seemed stretched to refer to it as recreational, seeing as she’d been forced to choose between three books, but at least it seemed interesting. Printed gold letter across the binding read: _Accounts of the Centuries - Soulmate of the Avatar._ The particular series _Accounts of the Centuries_ was an interesting (albeit cheesy) series of historical nonfiction novels aimed towards a younger demographic. They were complete with sections of facts, typically followed up with a short story or charming illustration.

As she left the room and followed her classmates into the hallway, Asami flipped to a random page near the beginning, finding a black and white picture of a beautiful woman she’d never seen before, donned in what appeared to be the outfit of a warrior. On the page beside it, Asami read:

_“I didn’t meet Avatar Kyoshi until she was in her late hundreds, but when I saw her fight, it all made sense. All these years I’d thought my soulmate was nonexistent until I realized what I’d been feeling wasn’t my imagination - my soulmate was the Avatar._

_“Of course, I couldn’t simply tell her, so instead I joined the Kyoshi Warriors and became one of her loyal helpers. When Kyoshi finally found out, she was grateful. I knew she would never be the person I would settle down with, but our connection made us a lethal team. It was an honor to serve side-by-side as an equal with the woman I loved.”_

Asami grimaced, narrowly avoiding running into another student. She had newfound respect for the Avatar’s soulmate - they had a hefty burden to bear - but she couldn’t imagine her soulmate not feeling the same towards her. Curious as to see if this was a common case, she flipped ahead in the book.

 _“-up until his death. And though I mourn his passing still, I cannot claim Roku did not live a full life. He may have been the Avatar, but the titles he carried to me - husband, father, friend - will always hold a place dear in my heart and on his grave.”_ ~ Ta Min, 12 BG.

 _So apparently not._ Asami sighed. By now she was seated outside, waiting for her father to pick her up. Bored with all the angst, she chose to flip ahead one more time until she saw a face she recognized - Avatar Aang. He’d died when she was little less than a year old, but she was familiar with the picture. She’d seen it numerous times, as it was the official picture that had been taken upon his founding of Republic City.

He couldn’t have been older than 20, a short beard creeping it’s way down his jawline, formal airbender robes, and, of course, standing beside the others who had helped him create the city: Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko. His old friends.

Beside it, however, was a picture Asami had never seen. Aang was crouched over, beaming, airbending a small coin in his hands while Toph and Sokka laughed, Zuko stared, and Katara tried to block the camera. Below the picture read, _Avatar Aang directly after founding Republic City_ \- _Photo provided by his wife and soulmate, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe._

Asami couldn’t help but smile as she continued reading.

_“-when he performed Firebending was when I usually noticed the biggest difference. Airbending and waterbending flowed naturally through him and earth, while more difficult, was taxing, but otherwise simple. Firebending, however, was fast and sharp. Even days away, I always knew when he was firebending. I could feel the heat in my fingers._

_“Of course, it may have been my natural avoidance of firebending. Waterbending is much smoother, even if just as fast. The energy flows instead of jolts. I could just never get used to the suddenness of that sort of bending.”_

Asami felt a chill run down her spine. _I’ve felt both of those before._ Her mind started racing. _My soulmate isn’t… it couldn’t be…_

Her father’s Satomobile pulled up, as if on cue. Hiroshi Sato - while quite loving - was not always a patient man, especially when pulled away from his job. Asami hopped right in, having to fumble with the seatbelt for her disarray.

“How was school?” her father asked. Behind his facial hair, Asami could see the beginnings of a warm smile that he always wore when speaking with her.

“Good,” she said, a little too quickly, but he didn’t notice.

“You got a new book!”

“Class reading.”

He laughed heartily. “You’ve never been a fan of those.” He pulled onto the highway. “What is it? A picture book? You know, when I was in secondary school-”

The story dulled to Asami’s ears. She gently ran her finger over the neatly stacked pages, choosing a random page to open to. Of course, there was nothing interesting, so she started flipping through until she found an article labeled _What does bending feel like?_ in bold, goofy letters.

_“Earthbending is surprisingly weightless. You feel a rush of energy to your muscles preparing for a heavy load, but the final effect is a mimic to the feeling when you lift large, empty boxes. It takes a lot of sturdy energy to move the earth - and thus must be provided by the bender.”_

Even as she read, Asami could feel it. From somewhere far away, her soulmate was earthbending. The energy built in her limbs, tugs of motion that seemed to be shifting and throwing and tugging the very ground in which they stood. She was positive her soulmate was an earthbender. And a waterbender. And a firebender. Because her soulmate was the Avatar.

Asami flipped to the back of the book where two full pages bore paintings of Kyoshi and Roku. The next page displayed a photograph of Aang - smiling beside his wife and three young children. And finally, the current Avatar: Korra. The book was published about ten years previous and showed what must’ve been a four-year-old girl, dressed formally and giving the camera an enormous smile through squinted eyes and wild hair.

_Avatar Korra._

______________________________________________________________________________

The longer Asami knew Korra, the more positive she became. During her Pro-bending tournaments, she watched the Avatar’s every move; every swipe and dodge and attack. While none of the attacks demonstrated the unaltered strength Asami was used to feeling, she was able to record each swipe with a flow of energy that she’d long-ago learned was the careful manipulation of waterbending. When they fought the equalists, she recognized the draining yet soothing glow of healing; the hot, fast strikes of fire; the robust, if not stubborn, hold of rock. Then, the day she faced her father, she felt something new: a freedom she’d never experienced before that seemed to emanate from her chest and raced down her arm, even faster than a strike of firebending.

_Korra can airbend!_

And, after a hurried trip back to Harbor City, as she sat worriedly in the living room of Katara’s home, she felt it; a burst of something that resembled adrenaline that pumped through her, straight from her feet to the top of her head and then outward. She felt the trademarks of all the elements racing through her. Earth grumbled, water redirected, fire obliged, and air… air seemed to tingle.

But Asami was not the Avatar. Asami was a normal human, not prepared for the surge that was the Avatar state, for no more than a few seconds could have passed before she felt herself reeling, burning from the inside out. She blinked and she was on her feet; took a breath and she was in the bathroom, gasping against the sink.

She didn’t hear the door open or close, but suddenly Katara was beside her, helping Asami find a seat on the ground against the wall. A blue glow encompassed her vision, followed by a soft chuckle from the elderly woman.

“The Avatar state is a natural defense mechanism and should not be toyed with. I stand to believe you agree?”

Asami nodded through quickly blurring vision. “H-How long?” she panted. “How long does it - does she-”

Katara shook her head. “I’m sure not much longer. She’s probably connecting to her Avatar Spirit. Can you feel anything else?”

“She has her bending back.”

A sigh of relief. “Thank the spirits.”

As the rush began to subside, Asami agreed with that statement. Almost as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone. She realized that she was lying limp on the freezing bathroom floor, sounds of concerned mumbling coming from the other room.

“I had a sneaking suspicion that Korra would meet her soulmate in Republic City.” Katara spoke softly as she continued to press water to Asami’s forehead, taking another bubble to rest over her chest. She wasn’t sure exactly what the healer was doing, but it seemed to be ebbing the rush and cooling her insides. “We always figured it would be a non-bender, because she never felt much. At least not the kind of shifts needed for bending.”

Asami tried to sit up but couldn’t force her arms to move. “She doesn’t know.” The sentence was a mere whisper, part exhausted, part afraid. “I don’t know when or how I’ll tell her, but she doesn’t know. And no one else does either.”

Katara allowed the water to return to the sink, helping Asami into a sitting position. “How long have you known?”

“I got the idea when I was 15.”

Silence ensued. Asami, starting to gain her strength, put her legs beneath her and stood up, with only the aid of the sink. She was about to exit when Katara’s gentle hand rested on her shoulder, urging her to address the aged waterbender. When she looked into her eyes, Asami saw the pure blue compassion that she’d read so many stories about - the stories about a woman who saved a village from drought, hunger, and plague, who defended Avatar Aang so many times, who always fought for the little guys. And in that moment, Katara gave Asami her first piece of advice.

“When you tell her, be direct. Korra has never been the patient riddler that everyone has wanted her to be.”

______________________________________________________________________________

When they found Korra, Asami was so relieved she cried. Of course, she hadn’t let anyone see it - especially when Korra ran straight to Mako’s arms - but she had been scared sick. As soon as Korra had gone missing after Mako had broken up with her, Asami had picked up some weird energy shifts from her. There was the moment when she was in a meeting where, in hindsight, she realized Korra was being attacked by a literal spirit. It’d been _very_ fun explaining to her associates that she needed a moment to catch her breath because her fucking soulmate couldn’t get her life together. Then there were the several consecutive hours of a constant ache winding it’s way up Asami’s spine to settle in her forehead, leaving her praying for Katara’s healing touch. And when it all ended, of course it was with the flash of the Avatar state. Asami had literally not slept for two days.

Maybe that’s part of the reason she cried?

After reuniting with Mako and Bolin, Korra noticed Asami. As if by switch, her face fell. “You look terrible. What’s wrong?”

She met Korra’s eyes - her beautiful blue eyes that could put the very sky to shame in their vastness, even when etched with concern as they were. Knowing she didn’t want to complicate this more than it already was, Asami shook her head. “Nothing. My… my soulmate. They’re a bender, and for some reason, the last day has been nonstop.”

Korra’s frown turned to a grin as she wrapped an arm around Asami. “I like the sounds of this guy: a tireless, devoted bender! What kind?”

Wanting to avoid anyone getting the wrong idea, she blurted, “Water!”

“A waterbender! Perfect!” Korra squeezed her. “You two will be perfect! I’ve always thought that if you were a bender, it would be water. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but hear me out-”

Listening to Korra was like listening to a good song for the first time: you can’t tell heads from tails what the person is saying but spirits is it nice to listen to. So, nodding encouragingly, Asami allowed Korra to lead her away from the crowd and the excitement and back to her bed - where she could finally sleep, because Korra was _finally_ safe and no longer fucking around with the Avatar state.

Asami began to drift off as soon as her head hit the pillow. However, a genius mind has it’s ways of conjuring one final thought before it’s owner falls fully unconscious. _Being the Avatar’s soulmate isn’t_ nearly _as cool as people make it out to be._

______________________________________________________________________________

If she’d had the energy, Asami would have laughed, because she remembered that night like she remembered the night of her first kiss, or how she remembered her father teaching her about Satomobiles. She remembered every action, every thought, every motivation and, less than a year later, she couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to think that _that_ would be the worst it would get.

Because now, as she lay in total darkness, Asami could only pick up bits and pieces of the last few days. It came back to her in flashes: the Red Lotus was there, the strength was simultaneously rushing and draining from her limbs, her legs were heavy, and then it had started. She knew Korra was trying to resist for some reason, but the Avatar state took her by force and it didn’t stop. After only a minute Asami was rendered helpless, gasping on the floor. She couldn’t remember when she passed out but, from the sound of it, it was somewhere in the ten minutes that Korra had been fighting.

Beside her, Asami could Korra’s silhouette. They were sharing a room at Air Temple island for convenience - because it was easier to watch two terrible injuries at the same time, even if that was a lie. Asami wasn’t terribly injured - she was just experiencing a side effect. Korra was the unfortunate exception.  

From her brief lapses of consciousness, Asami knew it wasn’t good. Korra couldn’t eat. Korra couldn’t use the bathroom. Korra couldn’t sit up. Korra could barely speak. She was paralyzed and it didn’t look like it was going to be able to be fixed in a few weeks or months.

_Korra is lucky to be alive._

And the memory traced itself into Asami’s mind - another moment she would remember for the rest of her life; like how she remembered the night her mother died or the moment her dad betrayed her. Because she would never forget the moment she realized that she nearly lost her soulmate and best friend forever.

Her head was heavy and achy, her limbs made of lead, and this was the longest she’d been awake for three days. Asami felt the tears build in her throat and couldn’t contain a small sob in her despair.

“Asami?”

The voice was so weak and unrecognizable that Asami wouldn’t have registered it if it had been any other name.

“Korra,” she rasped, not sounding much better off. “Do you need someone?”

“No.” Asami felt Korra trying to move her arms. Normally, this wasn’t the case, but now, it seemed to take that much energy.

“Korra don’t move. You don’t have the strength.”

Korra sighed. “Asami, you haven’t moved. Why are you here? Did they… did they hurt you too?”

The lump in her throat condensed. “Korra, do you know what the Avatar state is?”

Weak, humorless laughter echoed off the walls. “I think so.”

Even now, Asami could hear her voice fading. She would need to be quick. “The Avatar state is when you take all the energy and experience from your past lives and use it to survive. That’s why we are both here now.”

Tension filled the air as Korra’s breathing hitched. “Asami I didn’t… while I was fighting… you didn’t get… I didn’t hurt…”

Asami felt the tightness in her own chest and quickly interfered. “Korra, stop. You didn’t hurt me. Let me finish talking. Take a few deep breaths and let me talk.” She didn’t hear Korra breath but the panic ebbed, so Asami continued. “The science behind bending the elements is much more detailed than I could ever understand, but in it’s most basic form, bending involves a good deal of energy. That is why people who are soulmates to benders have an easier time finding their soulmates than non-benders.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “In the Avatar state, you experience a _powerful_ surge of energy that you, as a person who is fused with Raava, can thrive off of. But when you do this, your soulmate…” - she heard Katara’s advice in her head - “... me, your soulmate, experiences some of the consequences.” She paused, but Korra said nothing. “It was too much, so here I am.”

In the pitch black of the room, Asami had no way of measuring time. Once upon a time she could have counted fireflies or inhales, but the only thing that met her senses was silence. An eon could have passed and she would have had no way of knowing, yet somehow, her anxiety about the situation remained stagnant as she waited for Korra’s response, knowing it would someday come.

“You’re my soulmate?”

Asami nodded, realized Korra couldn’t see her, and spoke. “I’ve known for a long time. You’re too powerful of a bender for me not to. And if that’s not the icing on the cake, this kind of proves it. How long were you in the Avatar state?”

Korra’s answer seemed reluctant. “The entire time.”

And Asami laughed. “That about explains it. A minute knocks me out.”

“What does it feel like?”

Asami remembered. “At first, it’s the biggest rush you’ll ever have. Then it burns, and it only gets worse until it’s over.”

“I’m so sorry Asami.” Her voice was tight, merely an echo carried by the draft.

“Korra, I don’t care if you spend the rest of your life in the Avatar state, so long as you have that life to live.” She didn’t remember when she started crying. “We almost lost you. I have been waiting to tell you this for years and now here it is, at the crappiest part of our lives, because right now you are so damn lucky to be alive, and you can’t even argue with me. I can feel it, Korra. Your limbs are heavy, it hurts to breathe. Every last chakra and chi and whatever energy mumbo jumbo you want to call it has been touched, and here you are, still alive.”

Two beats - Asami was able to count it on her own rasping sobs.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I bet I’ll mistake this all for a dream, so you can tell me again if I ever recover.”

Asami laughed as loud as she could - it wasn’t very loud. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that. I’ll tell you when you recover.”

“I’ll act surprised.”

“Thank you.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Three years - two and a half of recovery, six months of wandering, and a few extra months of general chaos. If given a calendar, Asami probably could have pinpointed the day the attack had happened, followed by the day she’d talked to Korra. Because in the last three years, that’s all her life seemed to be: counting days.

It was once every five days she sent Korra a letter, and once every three to seven letters that she got a response. It was once a day she felt Korra trying to walk at first, then it was twice a day. Then, finally, after two full years, it was feeling Korra fighting again - the greatest challenge being earthbending. It was the great relief that she knew, somewhere out there, Korra was coming back.

It was once a week she met with her CEO’s, once a day she tried to make time for her garage, at least three times a week that she ended up sleeping on the couch in her garage, and two times a day she would eat, if she was lucky.

The spirit world was a nice break - she wasn’t even sure time existed there, let alone responsibilities or distractions. Here it was only her and Korra - her soulmate. Sure, they hadn’t discussed it since that night three years ago, but the fact was undeniable, and even if Korra didn’t remember, Asami was _positive_ the blue-eyed girl was crushing on her.

But now wasn’t the time to linger on that. Korra was circling her, stretching her well-muscled arms in a tactic Asami was sure was meant to distract her. She didn’t buy into it, focusing strapping the black glove properly on her wrist (it wasn’t her actual glove - it was just a mimic, but it would do the job just fine).

“You ready for the fight of a century?” Korra hollered.

Asami followed Korra’s movements, adding a grace she knew her beloved friend didn’t possess. She held out her glove. “Trust me, Avatar, by the end of this, you’re going to think the giant robot was child’s play!”

“How about you put some money where your mouth is and bet on it with me?” Korra basically howled.

Asami beamed. “Alright. What do you want if you win?”

Korra thought for a moment. “I want the famous pancake recipe you never stop talking about - the ones your mother used to make and the ones you make. They’re delicious and it’s not fair that you keep it a secret from all the rest of us.”

“Alright,” Asami agreed, flexing her gloved hand. “But if I win….” She paused, wondering what she could milk from this. “I will talk to you about engineering for three straight hours.”

“That’s a deal I can make.”

Without much warning, Korra shot a small gust of air at Asami. Of course, Asami felt the tingle in her fingers before the wind even left Korra’s. “Give me all you’ve got Avatar, I can take it!”

A long time ago, Korra would have immediately gone on the offensive. Now… well, she did the exact same thing. Some things just don’t change much, but Korra in real battle had learned a lot about defensive strategies. Now, however, Asami knew Korra would have to be as offensively on-point as possible, because she wasn’t training with just anyone.

A chill ran up Asami’s right arm; she dodged just in time to miss being caught in ice. Heat flared in her opposite hand; she easily missed the column of flames. All her limbs suddenly went tense; as Asami saw Korra aim for the ground, she danced to safety out of the way of the earthbending attack.

And, just like that, she was in front of Korra, her black glove resting over Korra’s heart. She smirked. “Fight of the century, you said?”

Korra glared at her suspiciously. “Okay, but how did you do that? It’s as if you knew all my attacks before I’d even executed them!”

“That’s the beauty, isn’t it? Of training with your soulmate?”

“Well, yeah,” Korra muttered, blush staining her cheeks. Asami’s heart fluttered. _So she didn’t forget._ “But I can’t do that! I get barely anything from you!”

She lifted Korra’s chin, feeling the need to rub it in her face, in every sense of the phrase. “I’d imagine it’s a bit easier to interpret sudden shifts through bending than normal movements, Korra. Besides, I’ve spent years recognizing your moves and how they feel. Give me some credit!”

Korra stared up at her, blue eyes playful but defiant. “I think I can win.”

Asami raised her brow, feeling a bit cocky. “How do you intend to do that, Ms. Avatar?”

And Asami felt the rush of energy to Korra’s chest right as Korra leaned up and, without hesitation, pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Asami’s cheek. Asami was shocked - partly because Korra was taking initiative, partly because since when was Korra _so damn smooth?_

Still red in the cheeks and gleaming in the eyes, Korra puffed her chest. “Good luck, Ms. Sato.”

Asami leaned down, cupping one side of Korra’s face as to make sure her aim was true. She met her lips to Korra’s in a way she knew to be intoxicating and lingering (from experience). “To you as well,” she whispered as she pulled away. She winked, turned, and prayed Korra was watching her hips as she strode away. By the little bit of drool on the girl’s mouth, Asami would assume that it had worked. So, flexing her glove-hand once more, she stretched her refreshed muscles and shouted, “Your move!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do ya know? Two years of being canon will really boost your motivation to write a ship! I've only been in this fandom for the last year, and have never done anything... so maybe it's time to make up for it now, eh? Happy two year anniversary, Korrasami! Here's to many more!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is from Korra's POV so it's a bit more story-based than AU based, but don't worry. I'm already thinking of another chapter that might bring it back to it's original focus. Anyway, enjoy a bit of... okay it's angst... but enjoy!

It must've been a decade ago. Asami had smiled at her, a twinkle in her eyes, that smirk on her lips. "It'll all go as planned!" she'd insisted. "Seriously, Korra. How many Super Dangerous Avatar Missions have I done with you? We'll both be home in time to have supper on the table." 

She'd kissed Korra.

"Do you promise?"

Asami's fingers traced Korra's betrothal necklace. "I'll even put it in my vows."

Korra's fingers found the necklace now, following the path Asami's had taken. Okay, so maybe it hadn't been a full decade, but two days away from Asami seemed to feel like that. Not just away, but with Asami  _ missing _ . Missing!  _ How could I have let this happen. I should never have let her go along with that plan. That stupid, half-formed plan! _

But the quality of the plan was neither here nor there, as was Asami. They'd been exploring the underground cave system beneath the mountains just outside of the city for almost two days straight and there was still absolutely  _ nothing _ . Korra hadn't stopped searching. "Lin, are you seeing anything?"

"Why are you asking me? You can see for yourself!" Lin barked back. Korra would've been able to forgive her: she hadn't left her side since the ordeal had started, but as it turned out, Korra didn't care.

"You're better, so look!" At Lin's glare, she allowed herself a long sigh and a short, "Please."

And so, for a few moments, Korra watched as Lin walked around, choosing different parts of the cave to scan with her feet. When she turned around, Lin looked genuinely exhausted. "The tunnels are long and seem to have no consistent pattern. Our best chance at this point is to get some rest then take a new look at this."

"No." It was an order, and Korra was adamant. "We rested already."

"That was hours ago, Korra," Mako chimed. He'd been awfully quiet; now Korra realized he was half-asleep. "It's been almost 30 hours and we've only slept four. Did you sleep at all?"

Korra turned and glared at the wall. She'd slept, for about an hour. But it was so nightmare-ridden that she'd woken to an anxiety attack, to which Lin had awkwardly had to console her from. She glanced at the Police Chief now, realizing that upon offering to stand guard during that time, Lin had gotten no sleep. The bags were visible beneath her eyes, even in the dark.

"Yes. You all need rest, but one of you stay awake." She made eye contact with Mako, who seemed less than thrilled, but they knew Bolin wasn't going to do it. In fact, he was already sitting against the wall, his eyes closed. "I'm going to keep going."

Lin took a step towards her. "That's not a smart idea."

Korra looked at her. "I don't care."

"You're playing right into their hands!" Lin's voice was raising. Bolin jumped awake. "Don't you see? They are after you, Korra! Why else would they take her? They know she's your weakness."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Korra could feel the emotions rising in her: the panic, anxiety, fear, and general loneliness. The thought of her life without Asami - her soulmate - was too unbearable to even imagine. She knew if she wasn't careful, her natural defense would take over, and the last thing her or Asami needed was her going into the Avatar State. Not after what had happened with the Red Lotus. "I am not going to sit here and do nothing while they do who knows what to Asami!" The earth rumbled. "We need to find her!"

"Listen,  _ Avatar _ ..."

"Woah, hey, woah guys, hi!" Bolin, now half-awake, stumbled into the middle of the tunnel. "Look, we are in a very shaky tunnel right now and really  _ don't _ need a badass earthbender fight, right? Okay, so, we need to find Asami, but Korra, what good is it going to be if when we get to her, none of us are sharp enough to get her out? Won't we all get captured? We all need sleep, especially you. It would be best," he looked into her eyes, pleading, "if we all relaxed and tried to get some rest."

The blood boiled beneath Korra's skin as she imagined what might happen to Asami while she was resting, but Bolin was right. Being exhausted wasn't going to get her to safety… maybe this was the right idea.

"Fine. We'll sleep."

"I'll keep watch," Mako offered, the life drained from his voice. Korra couldn't care less.

"Thanks."

___________________________________________________________________

Surprisingly, it was plenty easy for Korra to drift to unconsciousness. It's what happened when she was there that proved to be the real kicker.

It was dark, and she could hear Asami calling her name, pleading, begging for her. No matter how fast she ran, she could never get there. Every tunnel was a dead end, either leading to a gravelly pit or the open air, which met her lungs in suffocating nausea, because she still hadn't found Asami. Where was Asami? She needed Asami.

Her body began to ache as her muscles tired, the fatigue failing to reach her racing mind. "Asami!" she called, wondering if maybe, just maybe, her name would be returned louder. "Where are you?"

Slowly, her limbs seemed to turn to lead. Each push and strain drained all the energy from her, until she was crawling, still moving, crying Asami's name. "I'll save you."

And then, unexpectedly, a blood-curdling scream.

Korra woke and sat straight up, wide awake. By the looks of it, everyone else had too. One glance at Lin confirmed Korra's suspicions and, without a word, they were racing down the tunnel. 

_ Where is she? _

As it turned out, the weight in her limbs hadn't been just a dream. Over the last few years, Korra had worked exceptionally hard to try and distinguish her energy flows from the faint ones she got from Asami. It was difficult, with her not being a bender and all, but at this point, the difference was clear. Asami was struggling, perhaps kicking and thrashing, hard from the feel of it. In fact, if Korra was getting it this strong, it must be costing a serious amount of energy.

"How long were we asleep?" she demanded.

"A few hours at most," Mako replied.

_ Too long. _ "We need to find her. Now."

A throb wracked her chest, energy splitting through her throat as they heard another scream, and then it ceased.

In the new excitement, Korra could feel it itching just beneath her skin - the Avatar State threatening to rear it's ugly face in Korra's distraught exhaustion. She gulped, trying to push it back as her body begged to give in.  _ Not now. She's already in pain. _ "We aren't going fast enough!"

"What do you want us to do?" Lin yelled, frustrated. 

A short flash of the power seized up Korra's spine, sending bolts through her. Using a rock to give her a boost, she leapt and earthbent straight through the tunnel, surfacing several feet above. Lin joined her, shortly followed by the brothers. 

"Korra, what are you doing?"

Korra grimaced at Mako's stupid question. "I'm finding Asami!"

Another easy leap and she had her glider out, taking her high into the sky. She wondered if she could get a better vantage point from higher up, though it all looked the same. The feeling of Asami screaming came again and, for a moment, she lost herself in the wave that followed. Taking a steep dive, she built up enough speed that it would get her a good feel of the earth but not harm her before she abandoned her glider and fell, limbs first, at the earth. 

A thundering smash followed, giving Korra miles worth of information. The tunnels seemed to go on forever, all circling back to the mountain, where the team had started looking. But, as they wound closer to the city, there seemed to be a cavern, slightly larger than anything else beneath the surface.

She jumped out of the decent-sized dent she'd created, forcing herself to take control of her own body once again. She took an airball to the spot where her glider had crashed. "I think I found her. Follow me!"

The distance was slightly further than she'd expected, which would have been unfortunate had she been running. Thank the Spirits she'd learned airbending. The spot she'd been looking for didn't appear physically different from above, but she could feel it the moment she set foot on it. She took a second to set her glider aside (Tenzin would kill her if she ruined another one) before she took a flying leap and tore through the earth. 

The cavern was most definitely there, but Asami wasn't. However, two unfortunate guards met Korra's wrath. Before they could even comprehend what had blasted out of the sky, Korra had them buried in earth, clear up to a rock under their chins. "Where is she?" she growled.

"W-we don't know what you're talking about..." the first guard stuttered. Korra graced him with a tighter grasp and didn't flinch at the scream. 

Turning to the second guard, she repeated, through gritted teeth. "Where. Is. She."

"D-down, underground," the second guard whimpered. Just before Korra could squeeze him, "further. S-she's f-f-f-further down. Keep going… please, don't hurt us."

A quick check confirmed the presence of a deeper tunnel. "On the contrary, I believe your assistance will be rewarded." Korra's voice was monotone. "So long as Chief Beifong sees it that way." 

She left them whimpering as she burrowed straight down, practically swimming through the dirt. The feeling of Asami's screaming had ceased, as well as her struggling. All Korra could feel was the push and pull of her ribs.

_ I can feel her breathing. _

Tears rushed to her eyes, a flare up her back, and Korra lost control. 

Before the Red Lotus, when Korra had gone into the Avatar State, it had been more like watching a Mover from inside her own head. Now, well… it was more like if a person were to go pick up a glass and they instead grabbed it with so much force that it shattered in their hands. The earth seemed not to bend so much as it disappeared before her will. When she finally broke through the ceiling, all she registered were the guards - ten of them. 

They all rushed to Korra. 

A back kick splayed two against the wall, a fire punch set one's hair on fire. A stomp caused three more to fall, and a flick of her wrist entombed them in stone. The remaining four were trying to escape and, frankly, Korra didn't care. She bent a pit right beneath their feet and let them fall, knowing they wouldn't escape anytime soon. When she spoke to them all, her voice echoed off the walls, sending booming chills through the room.

"Where is she?"

As it turned out, no one needed to say anything.

When Korra saw her, her first instinct was to crush the guards into oblivion and destroy any others that may be out there. It was the plea in Asami's eyes that brought forth the conscious thought, and Korra, slowly but cognitively, willed herself to calm, to let the connection cease. 

A long time ago, when learning about the Avatar State, Katara had told Korra the story of when Aang lost Appa in the desert. He'd been so distraught upon realizing what had happened to Appa that he'd become nearly inconsolable. "He needed my help," Katara had explained. "I had to clench my teeth and pull him down. I couldn't have lived seeing him in that much pain."

And so Korra made her way to Asami, the love of her life, who was strapped vertically to a table, tall enough that when Korra reached it her forehead met Asami's stomach.  _ She was tortured. _ Korra shook her head, swallowing her anger as she recognized the warmth against her.  _ She's okay. She's going to be okay. _

Two painful sobs wracked through Asami - Korra felt them. Leaning back, she looked up at her fiancee, bound by metal to the wood. She flicked the metal pieces away as if they were pebbles and gently took Asami in her arms, slipping to her knees and cradling the woman in her arms. 

"Asami."

Normally green eyes were glazed and tired, her hair matted. Dirt and blood stained her cheeks. Korra didn't dare let her eyes wander any further. Despite all that must've happened, however, Asami didn't seem surprised by Korra's sudden appearance. 

Her words were slow and ragged, but carried all the sarcasm needed to send tears rushing to Korra's burning eyes. "It took you long enough."

Korra laughed, the sad sounding flooding the chamber. "You better not put that last promise in your vows. You've already broken it."

Asami shook her head. Feeling the tug in her own neck, Korra shifted her embrace to hold her steady. "We may want to stick to the 'In sickness and in health' stuff."

Korra snorted. "Sounds good. Speaking of which, hold tight. I'm gonna lean you against the table and check you out, okay? Don't try to move."

Asami obliged as she let Korra set her up. "You, check  _ me _ out? Well it's not like  _ that's  _ never happened before."

"Shut up," Korra muttered. She was relieved Asami could still make jokes, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she'd made sure she was going to be okay. "J-just stay there, and stay awake." She opened the bottle of water at her waist and bent it out into the familiar, glowing ball. 

"Trust me, I’m not sleeping anytime soon."

Korra started at her forehead, consciously working through Katara's healing checklist.  _ If blood vessels are good, and chi paths are clean, double check the brain's activity, then it should be clean.  _ The scratches on her cheeks seemed painful, but otherwise harmless, thank Aang. She moved on to the neck. _ No bones should be broken, no muscles harmed, the arteries are important, if so then be charmed. _

"You're going awfully slow, Korra."

Korra didn't want to admit that she had to use the stupid rhymes from when she was five, afraid that she might miss something. "You're looking fine so far." Her neck had only sustained a slight nick from a sharp object, which may have not even been intentional. Korra took a few seconds to strengthen the skin before moving on.

Just by looking at her chest, Korra could see some issues. Her shirt was torn and bloodstained, hanging off her in several places, but intact enough that it didn't expose her fully. She gave the water an extra boost of energy before continuing, feeling she was going to need it to help with some of the healing. 

_ Ribs may be halved, insides a-bleeding, always check the spine, and that the heart's still a-beating. _ She only seemed to have one broken rib, which was good, though Korra wasn't going to pretend the rest weren't bruised. Her heart and spine were safe. Most of the injury seemed to be from several scratches that had been carved along her sides, plus a couple sharp blows. 

"These guys really don't understand torture, do they?" Korra asked as she cleaned the blood from her and started healing the deeper cuts.

Asami laughed, then coughed. Korra felt it. "I'm ashamed to say that they caught me at all, but I'm no metalbender, and sometimes an ambush can really catch you off guard."

Korra nodded, her expression stone. Healing was a rather tedious process. The idea was that a waterbender could heal by transferring a concentrated amount of energy and forcing it to heal one spot, hence speeding the process. However, she had barely slept in two days. She didn't have enough for herself, let alone Asami. 

_ But that doesn't matter. _

"Did the Avatar State hurt you?" she asked as she worked, wanting to spend extra time here.

"Only for a few seconds. You did a pretty good job holding it off this time."

Korra clenched her jaw. "I really tried."

_ The stomach is squishy, and full of stray parts. Check that all are intact and none have been marked. _

Only bruises there, a few leading to Asami's hips. Korra didn't like the look of that - a rage built in the pit of her stomach.

"It's not what it looks like, Korra. They just had to get a strong hold on me so they could pin me up. I spent the whole time fighting them."

Korra decided to worry about the bruises later - not to waste her time there. "Looks like all your vitals are good. Anything else that hurts?" Asami bit her lip. "As your fiancee, you are required to tell me. Remember? No secrets."

Asami seemed reluctant. "Korra you must be exhausted. The healing alone is taking a lot out of you. Please don't push yourself."

"Tell me, Asami."

Asami sighed. It rattled Korra's ribs, followed by a few coughs that left Asami grimacing.  _ She needs medical attention before those ribs get any worse. _

"Tell me."

"A cut on my thigh, bruises on my back and arms, cuts on my arms and... well, burns. Legs and back."

_ Fuck, not burns.  _

Korra went immediately to her legs, her heart stopping as she saw the hole singed through her pants. "A firebender," Asami explained. "I think I've had worse experiences with hot metal."

"Asami this is at least a second degree burn," Korra growled, fearing her little blob of water wouldn't even relieve a little bit of the pain Asami must be feeling. "You look worse than a punching bag! We need to get you to the hospital. Come on." She took a grip under Asami's knees and wrapped her arm around Asami's back, careful to avoid touching the long, jagged burns. 

When she turned, she was grateful to see the rest of her team had caught up. Lin had tied the guards together while Mako and Bolin kept watch. "Lin, I need to borrow some metal."

"What?" 

"The metal string stuff you guys use. I need some."

There was a soft huff and a moment of hesitation before Lin sighed, defeated. "Knock yourself out." She bent the start of the strand around Korra's wrist, letting the rest follow to create a snug-looking metal bracelet.

"Thanks. I'm taking Asami to the hospital. You guys take care of the guards. She looks like she'll be fine."

She knew it would be impossible to metalbend the whole way up with just one arm, as well as she knew it would be to firebend the whole way. Maybe airbend, but manipulating air that strongly was taxing. So, bending a metal lasso around a strong outcrop, Korra leapt and took off, fire rocketing from her feet. 

It was much easier digging down than bending up, but after setting up a quick rhythm, Korra found her stride. At the top she reunited with her glider. "Hold on," she instructed, metalbending them together as a sort of insurance. "It's going to be a bit of a ride." 

"I think I can handle it."

___________________________________________________________________

"It could've been worse."

"Yes, it could have been much worse!" Korra was exasperated as she glared at Asami. "Do you know how lucky you were? That those burns hadn’t lasted a moment longer?"

A few days had passed - Asami was home from the hospital. They'd both gotten some much needed sleep, but Korra's emotions were quite raw from the experience. "Korra, it won't do any good for you to worry like this. You're the Avatar, and I'm your soulmate. 'Dangerous' was in the job description."

Korra pouted, folding her arms as she leaned back against her pillow, on their bed. "You never asked to be my soulmate. You don't deserve any of this."

"But I wouldn't have it any other way." Asami - wearing only a bra and underwear - sat in front of her, straddling her hips. "Korra, I'm fine. You can't throw this fit every time I get a scrape."

Korra's eyes glazed over Asami's abdomen - black and blue and fresh with new scars, only some of which would go away. She caught sight of the bandage on her leg, covering the nasty burn beneath it. "You shouldn't be a pawn in the grand game of 'Let's capture the Avatar'."

"There shouldn't be a game at all." Asami leaned in and kissed her, softly. A kiss that could make all the pain go away, if only for a second. "But there is, and like it or not, I'm the queen to your king. The universe said so. So, we can either sulk about it, or we can enjoy that it brought us together."

Korra touched her betrothal necklace once more, marveling at the expert craftsmanship that could be none other than the brilliant Asami Sato's. "Just tell me you'll never get yourself in that situation again."

Asami quirked her brow. "I can't promise something like that."

"I know... just tell me. Please."

Asami leaned in, her voice warm against Korra's ear. "I'll never get myself in that situation ever again."

Korra's chest clenched. "I can't imagine a world without you, Asami. I don't want to."

Asami's arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. Korra rested her head on her shoulder. "You'll never have to, Love. You'll have to work a lot harder to get rid of me."

A tear fell down Korra's cheek. There seemed to be no more words, so they left it that way. Some wounds need time to heal, some need hugs. Maybe this one was a bit of both.

 


End file.
